On February 22, 2026, a large number of Los Angeles–area Armenians gathered in the St. Gregory the Illuminator church hall in Glendale, California, to participate in a literary-artistic evening dedicated to the memory of the Baghdad Armenian Co-ed Youth Association, its gem of the past century, the "Komitas" four-part choir, and its founder and conductor Garabed Kishmishian.
The event, which was sponsored by the Regional Executive Board of Hamazkayin Western USA, was organized at the initiative of the Iraqi Armenian Cultural Committee of California.
The evening began with a prayer and blessing recited by Father Ignatius Abassian.
Opening remarks were read by the day's master of ceremonies, a longtime member of the choir, Aram Ketenjian. He briefly described the history of the Iraqi Armenian community, from the beginning to our days. He reflected on the founding of the community's churches, schools, and cultural institutions and their importance in the sublime work of preserving religion, the mother tongue, and Armenian culture. One of those institutions was the Co-ed Youth Association and one of its pillars, the "Komitas" choir, was formed in 1953.
Maral Garabedian Aloujian read the remarks and blessing of the former primate of the Iraqi Armenian diocese, Archbishop Avak Asadourian.
